In most stringed instruments such as six and twelve string guitars, mandolins, lutes and the like, the strings of the instrument are fixed or held in place at two points. One end of each string is fixed at the head of the instruments by a tuning peg and the other end is fixed at the bridge on the instrument's body. This invention relates to an improvement in the apparatus for fixing or holding strings in place at the bridge of acoustical stringed instruments such as acoustical guitars, mandolins, lutes or similar instruments relying primarily on non-electric means for producing sound.
Several methods have previously been used for securing strings at the bridge of an acoustical instrument. The most common method is to provide an opening in the bridge of the instrument through which a string may be inserted and locked into place with a retaining peg. Often the strings of the instrument are provided with restraining means in the form of a ball or barrel located at the terminus of the string to simplify locking the string in place. In many instruments, the opening in the bridge is further provided with a small notch to allow room for the diameter of the string when the retaining peg is in position.
For example, in acoustical guitars such as shown in Siminoff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,963, the end of each string is provided with a restraining means and is inserted through an opening in the bridge of the guitar into the interior of the instrument. A peg is then inserted into the bridge opening and is lodged tightly in place to prevent the restraining means from slipping back through the opening when tension is applied to the string. A similar arrangement is used in other acoustical instruments such as mandolins, lutes and the like.
The use of a peg, however, for fixing the strings of an acoutical instrument creates several problems. During installation of the strings, the force required to securely wedge a peg into the instrument's bridge opening may damage the instrument's body or bridge assembly. In turn, attempts to remove the tightly wedged pegs may also damage the instrument. These difficulties are of particular concern to owners of rare or expensive instruments as the bridges and bodies of such instruments may be especially vulnerable to injury and damage.
In addition, removing pegs from a bridge assembly can be very difficult and time consuming, and may require special tools. Moreover, once the prior art pegging apparatus is instralled on acoustical stringed instruments, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to change to other prior art string fixing devices.
Furthermore, when an acoustical instrument's strings are under tension, the prior art apparatus allow the strings to exert considerable stress on the upper portion of the bridge assembly. Often this upper portion of the bridge is simply glued to the body of the instrument, and with time, the upper portion of the bridge may separate from the instrument's body as a result of the stress from the strings. This is true of the prior art peg systems, as well as other apparatus that fix the strings primarily on the upper portion of the bridge.
In addition to the above considerations, attempts have been made to modify the prior art string fixing systems and bridge assemblies to improve the sound of acoustical instruments by prolonging the duration of notes or tones produced by the instrument's strings. For example, metallic retaining pegs have been used to fix the strings of the instruments, and weights and the like have been added to the bridges of the instruments.
It has been found that while these prior art assemblies may prolong the duration of the notes or tones produced by the strings, they also cause a serious deterioration in the quality of the instrument's sound. Thus, for most applications, the prior art methods for improving the sound of acoustical instruments are unacceptable.
Other prior art apparatus concerning fixing the strings of guitars include those disclosed in Takabayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,905, Takabayashi, U.S. Pat. No, 4,608,906, Tanaka et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,049, Desmond U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,585, Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,443, Shibuya, U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,466, Milne, U.S. Pat. No, 4,341,144, Hoshino, U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,014, Fender, U.S. Pat. No. 2,573,254, Stanley et al., U.S. Pat. 2,029,135, and Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 1,368,818. These references do not suggest a device for use on acoustical stringed instruments that is less complicated or difficult to use than the prior art pegging system, nor do they teach a means for fixing the strings of an acoustical instrument that avoids stressing the upper portion of the bridge of the instruments.
The above references, in addition, do not suggest means for prolonging the sound produced by the strings of acoustical instruments without adversely affecting the quality of the tones or notes. Nor can the apparatus of these references be converted to use any other string fixing system.